Love the One You’re With

If youâ€™re down and confused, and you donâ€™t remember who youâ€™re talkinâ€™ to, concentration slip away, â€˜cause your baby is so far away.

Well thereâ€™s a rose in the fisted glove, and the eagle flies with the dove, and if you canâ€™t be with the one you love, honey, love the one youâ€™re with, love the one youâ€™re with, love the one youâ€™re with, love the one youâ€™re with.

Donâ€™t be angry, donâ€™t be sad, and donâ€™t sit cryinâ€™ over good times youâ€™ve had. Thereâ€™s a girl right next to you, and sheâ€™s just waitinâ€™ for something to do.

And thereâ€™s a rose in the fisted glove, and the eagle flies with the dove, and if you canâ€™t be with the one you love, honey, love the one youâ€™re with, love the one youâ€™re with, love the one youâ€™re with, love the one youâ€™re with.

From now until November 15th, and maybe beyond, New Orleans Hornets fans won’t be treated to New Orleans Hornets games. We’ll also miss other team activities, such as trades, training camp, etc.

ManyÂ other options are available to provide entertainment and to spend money, but I wanted to take a moment to point out some possibly-less-than-obvious branches in the sports section of the Hornets family tree. I’ll discuss the connection to the Hornets and giveÂ a little kickstart for those that are interested.

In the following, I’m taken as given the alma mater of whichever person tickles your fancy, as well as all local teams. No one needs to be told these things, so I’m not going to do that.

I may have already lost people at this point . . . let me take justÂ a moment more to try to get you back. There is never a substitute for the teams and players you love, granted. I’m not trying to provide substitutes, but rather give some way to pass the time that will support the people that are working so very hard to give us a team here, and one that can win and properly represent us and the city to the rest of the world.Â

While we can’t be in the seats, this is something we can do to show support.

The NorthwesternWildcats compete in the newly 12-team Big Ten athletic conference.Â The Chicago-area school is excellent in terms of academics, and though they have never been an athletic powerhouse, they have produced some NBA players. In particular, they have graduated a number of active journalists, which is where Tre wants to end up, maybe immediatelyÂ following graduation, maybe after a detour through professional basketball.

Also, for those brave enough to go through these links, there’s a nice hidden basketball reference in there . . . as a lover of wordplay, I gotta say, I just gave Dell a point or three.

The first commenter correctly identifying it gets a mention in the News.

Minnesota Wild

The NBA appointed New Orleans native Jac Sperling to act as a steward of the New Orleans Hornets during their ownership of the franchise. Jac is lawyer by training, giving him yet another credential as the top choice by the Association as the guy to drive the $300,000,000 car in The Cannonball Run. The third major factor was that Jac is a Vice Chairman of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.

The Wild were an expansion team into Minnesota after the Stars moved to Dallas. Considered a fan-friendly team, their home gamesÂ in St. Paul are among the highest attended NHL. The Wild also went through a harsh lockout in 2005, leading to a canceled season.

Their history is not equal to that of the Hornets, but I can’t imagine finding a more perfect experience base one could realistically expect in an executive to bring in to represent the team while helping the Hornets find a local owner. In fact, I recently characterized him as the Bo JACkson of Sports Executives . . . do we have any two-sport executives, or are we breaking new ground here?

Joe Gibbs is probably a better comparison, but one of his roles was a Coach, not an executive with the Redskins. I wish someone could compare me to Coach Gibbs . . . I wish someone could come close to comparing me to Coach Gibbs. At any rate,Â Jac isÂ in pretty elite company.

The Wild’s season recently started, and they have a record of 1-1-1 (1 win, 1 regulation time loss, 1 OT loss . . . a win is worth 2 points, an OT loss is worth 1 point, and a regulation time loss is worth 0 points . . . points, not wins,Â determine standings). They are second in the division behind the Stanley Cup Finals runner-up Vancourver Canucks. Last night, the let an early 2-0 slip, losing in a shootout to the Ottawa Senators.

The Wild’s captain is Finnish center Mikko Koivu. Koivu recently signed a lucrative deal to stay with the Wild after being their first pick, 6th overall in 2001. He holds the franchise record for most assists in a game, is active off the court, massively competitive, represents Finland well in national play, and spent some of this past summer as a private in the Finnish army.Â Remind anyoneÂ of any of New Orleans’ favorite sons, in terms of character if nothing else?